"Much as I have no wish to hurt anyone's feelings, my first obligation has not been to be nice but to be true to my perhaps peculiar memories, experiences and feelings."

"The intellectual is someone who is always questioning, always doubting, always criticizing."

"The problem with the Middle East is not a lack of democracy, but a lack of justice."

"Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience."

"The United States has been a major player in the Middle East for a long time, and its policies have often been detrimental to the people of the region."